We Are Legion

Details

Venue: Melbourne International Film Festival

Director: Brian Knappenberger

Rating:

If you were wondering why the Guy Fawkes mask from the film V For Vendetta keeps appearing in the news, and feel the internet is a strange and unfamiliar place, this documentary will be a whirlwind education.

It documents the evolution of the 'hacktivist' group Anonymous, from its beginnings as a loose collective of net denizens more into jokes and memes than bringing down the web, to its increasing drive towards activism (or, for some, troublemaking).

Full of fuzzy Skype interviews with hairy, swearing hackers (or 'operatives', as some term themselves), net culture academics and journalists, it gives a clear picture of how a group can rise and fall before the mainstream media has worked out how to describe them.

But the film is interested in upending our preconceptions, featuring some of the women breaking the computer nerd mould, as well as outlining how Anonymous supported Arab Spring protesters to keep their web communications going.

It also raises questions about freedom of speech: if the group stops a neo-Nazi shock-jock from broadcasting, is that ok? Is it ok to bring down credit card and PayPal sites which cut off funds to WikiLeaks but not the KKK?

We Are Legion wears its heart on its sleeve but has the guts to leave it up to you to decide if they're snotty geeks or anti-bullying activists.